Len Maniace, Jackson Heights Beautification GroupSince 1988, the Jackson Heights Beautification Group has worked to preserve, revitalize and care for the neighborhood. Len Maniace, who was president of the organization for the last four years, su...

James Cella, Douglaston ResidentWhen James Cella first walked into the tudor house at the corner of Depew Avenue in Douglaston 27 years ago, he knew he was going to live there. Tucked away in a remote corner of Queens, the proper...

Troy Walcott, Striking Spectrum TechTen months ago, Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Troy Walcott worked as a survey technician. His job was to locate areas without cable service and find ways to provide service. But since members of the ...

Breeana Mulligan, Queens County Young DemocratsIn the age of Donald Trump, young people across the city and country are voting, marching and getting involved in politics For Breeana Mulligan, communications director of the Queens County Young D...

Nick Fiorito, Blankets of HopeWhat began as a family volunteer project has transformed into a philanthropic initiative to help the homeless. Nick and Mike Fiorito, two brothers from Bay Ridge, started a program called “Blankets...

Abrar Hussain, CEC 24 Student RepresentativeIt’s difficult to find a more accomplished young man than Abrar Hussain. A senior at Grover Cleveland High School, Hussain’s list of extracurricular activities will make your head spin. He’s on the...

Ernie Searle, Friends of Ridgewood LibraryLike many bookworms, Ernie Searle says he grew up in a library. It’s only fitting that now the bibliophile is president of the Friends of Ridgewood Library. A support group for the library, it prov...

Manuela Zamora, NY Sun WorksIn a dense urban environment like New York City, most students won’t get the opportunity to learn about sustainable farming and food production. Manuela Zamora is working to change that. Zamora is ...

Dex Rho, Nike Analytics ManagerDex Rho is all about the passion. As an analytics manager for Nike, his role is to strategically think about and improve how the company does business. He looks into the inner workings of every asp...

Neil Davis, Singer/SongwriterFor singer and songwriter Neil Davis, it all started when he got a toy keyboard for Christmas. The Douglaston native taught himself how to play, and before he knew it he turned his passion into a c...

Louis Cooper, Co-founder, IONYCLouis Cooper has two passions in life: technology and teaching. He studied computer-aided drafting and design at SUNY Delhi and later at SUNY Buffalo. But after working briefly in engineering and a...

John Wallace, Former KnickJohn Wallace just can’t help but smile. A former first-round draft pick with the New York Knicks, Wallace now works with the Knicks organization doing fan development. He loves working with kids an...

Madison Miller, Student Government PresidentMadison Miller is a bona fide scholar. The senior at Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, a resident of Crown Heights, will graduate at the end of the school year having completed 11 Advanced P...

Khalil Cumberbatch, The Fortune SocietyAfter spending more than six years in the New York state prison system, Khalil Cumberbatch worked his way up to associate vice president of policy at The Fortune Society. The Long Island City-based...